There are so many stray cats in our world. It’s very sad…they live outdoors scouring the trash bins for food, finding a dense shrub to sleep or hide and never knowing love.

In early February, a young kitten showed up on my patio, wailing. It’s hard to know what her cries were trying to tell me. Was she hungry? Was she scared? Was she lost? I tried to ignore her thinking she’d find her way home, but I couldn’t. I brought her a little bowl of food which she quickly began eating. I noticed a small collar around her neck with a little pink bell. Then I recognized her as a kitty hiding in a bush when I would walk my dogs. I knew she belonged to the tenants in the adjacent building, but they moved away a few days earlier. They left her.

With closer inspection, the collar seemed to be too small for her neck. It was a buckle collar that someone used small “zip” ties to hold it together, only now the cut end was digging into her neck. I immediately took scissors to it and removed it. That night I brought her inside my apartment and put her in my spare bedroom. I named her Roxie.

She needed be separated from my resident adult cats until I knew this kitten was free of any parasites or diseases. The next day she went to the vet for a check up and tests because her stool was extremely watery. She was put on several different liquid medications and given 4 small kitty meals per day. The vet estimated her to be about 6-7 months old. As soon as her stool was normal again, she was scheduled for her spay procedure. Turns out, she was already in heat. Got her just in time. At least I know she’ll never have kittens and I did my part to help the cat over-population in my neighborhood.

Roxie is learning how to interact with my adult cats: manners, respect and kitty play. It’s funny that she doesn’t mind my two dogs at all. The dogs are very accepting and allowing her to grow up safely and without fear. She’s a very sweet kitty, beautiful, loveable, tolerant and happy. One more kitty off the streets.

I don’t plan on being the “old cat lady,” but Roxie found me and I had to help her.

Special thanks to Perrin-410 Animal Hospital in San Antonio, Texas for their wonderful care in getting her healthy.